Stirrup-leather



W. L. F. FAITHFULL.

' STIRRUP LEATHER; APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1919.

1,335,826. f Patented Apr. 6,1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET l- W. L. F. FAITHFULL.

-$I|.R BUP LEATHER. 'APPLICATION FILED me. 20. I919.

1,335,826. Patented Apr. 6, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WYNDHAM LIONEL FOIQLIOTT FAITHFULL, 0F SUSSEX, ENGLAN D.

STIRBUP-LEATHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Apr. 6 1920.

Application filed January 20, 1919. Serial No. 272,178.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WYNDHAM, LIONEL FOLLIOTT FAITHFULL, asubject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Sussex, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Stirrup- Leathers, of which the following'is aspecification.

This invention relates to the suspension of stirrup irons from a riding saddle.

Under my invention, the stirrup iron is suspended from the saddle by a single strap secured by means of a safety device so made that while holding the strap firmly so long as the stirrup iron is being pressed down, it permits of ready and quick adjustment of the strap when required. The device, should the rider be thrown from his horse, with his foot still engaging the stirrup iron,permits of the strap being entirely released thereby preventing the possibility of the rider being dragged by the horse.

The safety device preferably consists of a member pivotally connected with the.

saddle, either directly or. indirectly, and

having a slot therein abovewhich is abar,

or-equivalent, preferably parallel to'the axes of the hinge pins, or equivalent, on which the plate is pivotallysupported, the'upper cured or attached.

end of the stirrup strap being passedthrough the slot and partly around the bar, or equivalent,'from which'thestrap extends upward and downward. A downward pressure on the stirrup iron causes the strap to be wedged in and held by the. device while an upward pull on the strap relieves the wedging action and leavesthe strap free to be easily pulled or adjusted to any position or indeed to be pulled right out of the device in an emergency such as hereinbefore referred to.

The device may be permanently secured to the saddle or it may be removably se- Rollers or rounded bars may be provided above and below the slot in the plate and the bars above and below the slot may be serrated, if desired, to increase their gripping action.

I may provide a bar hinged at its upper end to the saddle and having a bottom and top slot and a central bar behind which the strap is passed; the strap passing in at the bottom slot and out at the top slot. The strap may be suitably marked to indicate its positions in the holding device for the? requirements ofdiiferentriders. i

The turning ofythe'holding member or plate may be limited bya stop or equivalent to insure that the leather strap will be. freely adjustable, when -required, as the overturning of the strap-holding member may take it past the position atwhich the strap can be pulled through. In order that the invention may be clearly understood I will now describe the same with referenceto the accompanying drawings which show some examples ofvhow the invention may be carried into eflect.

Figure 1 shows a saddle with the singlestirrup leather and the safetysuspending device. 7 P

Figs. 2 and 3 are detail front and side i elevations of the safety device.

Fig. 4 shows a mode of lacing the singlestirrup leather into the safety device. I 7

Fig.6 shows how the safety device may be modifiedto suit Canadian saddles.

Fig. 6 shows a modified form of the device. 7

Referring to the drawings i The safety device, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, consists of a member Z) pivotally connected to a bracket 26 which is removably carried on the saddle bar 0. The member 5 has a slot or opening b above which is'a bar 6 parallel to the axes of'the hinge pins'b 'on which the member Z) is pivotally supported.

The upper enda of the stirrup strap a, 1n the example shown-passes through the .slot

b to the back of the barb and. then ex-- tends upwardas shown clearly. at Fig; 3. I

prefer, in some cases, to use instead of the bracket 6 a simple plate (see Fig. 6) with a slot 12 and socket parts 6 therein for the hinge pins 1), of the member 6, this plate being directly riveted, at g to the saddle tree.

The arrangement is such, that a downward pressure on the stirrup iron 03 causes the strap a to be wedged between the bar 6 and the bracket 6 The strap is therefore. held securely in position, so long as the normal position of the rider is maintained, but should the rider be thrown, with his foot still engaging the stirrup iron 03 so that the 7 latter is pulled upward, the member b will be turned upward about the hinge pins, 12*

andwill'relieve the wedging action of'the bar If on the strap end a with the result that the strap will be left free toeasily draw 7 out of the safety device. When the rider is thrown in this way his other foot may be caught in the stirrup on the other side of the saddle which will still be securely held but thisis not the real danger as the rider can easily jerk this foot free, but if no means were provided for preventing the other foot and stirrup being caught and pulled over the saddle, the rider would be helplessly hung from the saddle.

Rounded bars are shown both above and below the slot 6 in the member The strap a may be suitably marked, as shown in Fig. 1', to indicate the positions thereof in the safety device to suit the re quirements of different riders.

The turning-of the holding member 5 is, in the example-shown, limited by stops which insure that the member I) cannot be overturned and also insure free adjustment The overof the strap a when required. turning of the strap holding member 7) would take it past the position at which the strap could be pulled through.

At Fig. 4 I have shown how the strap a may be passed over the bar 5 and its end a brought back behind same and in front strap with its safety fastening device are as follows 1- I There is a saving in leather of at least No buckles or tongue holes are required. The leather straps will wear considerably longer than the old double pattern because straps with buckles first wear out at the tongue holes. The new straps bear the strain on the Whole surface and are in reality stronger.

lVhen the new straps break at the stirrup iron instead of being useless they may be shortened an inch and their use prolonged.

The single straps with their safety devices give perfect security as it is impossible for a rider to be hung up.

The straps are far more easily adjusted when riding and canbe lengthened or shortened in a second by the most indifferent horseman, at any pace.

Having only a single width of leather between the knee and saddle greater comfort is obtained.

VV-ith the safety device either a new single strap or an old double strap can be used.

Having now fully described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A safety device for suspending single stirrup straps from riding saddles comprising a stationary member on thesaddle, and a V buckle member pivotally connected with the stationary member, said buckle member having a cross bar and the stirrup strap being laced through the member behind said bar and adapted to be wedged and held between the same and the stationary member by downward pressure exerted on the strap, substantially as set forth.

2. A safety device for suspending stirrup straps from riding saddle comprising a bracket removably carried on the saddle bar, and a buckle member pivoted to the bracket, said buckle member having a cross bar and the single stirrup strap being laced through the member behind said bar and wedged between the same and the bracket by downward pressure exerted on the strap, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two'witnesses.

WYNDHAM LIONEL FOLLIOTT FAITHFULL. 'VVitnesses:

R. S. SWAN-DIXON, ALBERT C. BAKER. 

